Travel and Parking

Plan your journey

Planning your trip to Canterbury? Canterbury is easily accessible by road and rail with an excellent travel network, allowing you to reach the city quickly and easily, and we have plenty of guides and great visitor information centres to help you on your trip.

Take a look at our travel information and useful guides below to plan your trip.

If you are interested in venue hire for conferences, events or meetings in Canterbury, visit our Venue Hire Page

There are numerous options for sustainable travel with high speed rail links and well-connected bus and coach services, with two train stations just 5mins from the town centre. If you prefer to drive, Canterbury is also served by the M2 motorway direct from London and the Port of Dover and has 3 Park and Ride facilities for easy day trips. International visitors can reach us from the Port of Dover (20mins), Gatwick Airport (70mins) and Heathrow (90mins) by car or by public transport.

Visitor Information Centres

If you’re visiting Canterbury, pop into one of our Visitor Information Centres where our friendly staff will help you find the information you need to make your visit complete. They can help with

Information about getting around the area
How to get tickets for top attractions
Booking guided tours
Options for parking
Maps, brochures and guides for the area

Canterbury

The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge
18 High Street
Canterbury, CT1 2RA
01227 862 162
canterburyinformation@canterbury.gov.uk

Visit the website for up-to-date opening times.

Whitstable

The Whitstable Shop & Visitor Information Centre
34 Harbour Street
Whitstable, CT5 1AJ
01227 770 060

Herne Bay

12 William Street
Herne Bay, CT6 5EJ
01227 361911

Find your way around

Every year, the team at Canterbury BID and their partners produce guides for every season in Canterbury to help visitors and residents to find things to do, new venues and seasonal fun in the city. These handy maps are available to download and keep, and keep an eye out for our festive and summer guides!

TRAVEL BY TRAIN

Where ever possible, we encourage our visitors to travel sustainably using our ample train and bus services. Southeastern’s high speed services will get you between London St Pancras International and Canterbury West in just 54 minutes, or you can travel to Canterbury East, located just five minutes' walk from the city centre.

There are plenty of other train routes between our towns and hundreds of other destinations.

Book your tickets today!

Popular routes

Between Canterbury and Dover

Reason to visit: Dover Castle and cliff walks
Station: Canterbury East
Time: 17-28 minutes
Between Canterbury and Margate

Reason to visit: Amusements, Dreamland and that special seaside experience
Station: Canterbury West
Time: 30-36 minutes
Between Canterbury and Faversham

Reason to visit: Classic market town and Kent's ale capital
Station: Canterbury East
Time: 11-14 minutes
Between Canterbury and Wye

Reason to visit: Tranquil river setting and the famous Tickled Trout Pub
Station: Canterbury West
Time: 11-14 minutes

TRAVEL BY BUS OR COACH

Being in such a central location, Canterbury can be reached by Stagecoach buses running all over East Kent, so here are some of the key bus services going to and from Canterbury:

Between Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay

Route name: Triangle
Travel time: 25 minutes from Canterbury to Whitstable
View the timetable and bus stops
Between Canterbury and Dover

Route name: Route 15
Travel time: 35 minutes
View the timetable and bus stops
Between Canterbury, Margate and Westwood Cross shopping centre

Route name: 8 and 8A
Travel time: 53 minutes from Canterbury to Margate
View the timetable and bus stops

Direct coach services from Dover, Ramsgate and London will stop at Canterbury Bus Station in the city centre, the perfect drop-off point for a tour of the city or a shopping trip.

Alternatively, some coaches will stop at the University of Kent, providing quick campus access and opportunity to visit local natural beauty spots, such as Blean Woods and the Crab and Winkle Way.

TRAVEL BY CAR

Whether you're visiting Canterbury, Whitstable, or Herne Bay, there are many places to park your car. Canterbury offers city centre parking, or a Park and Ride service allowing you to park slightly outside the city and get a bus into town.

Need somewhere to park? Check the Canterbury City Council website for details on all council-run car parks across the district, including up-to-date fees and space availability, accessible parking options, electric vehicle charging points and more. You can also sign up for an online parking account.